Article of manufacture and method



July 4, 1950 T. E. PlAzzE ARTICLE 0F MANUFACTURE AND METHOD Filed March 1, i945 INVENToR. U20/72a@ E Hajj@ Patented` July 4,

ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE AND METHOD Thomas E. Piazze, Mount Vernon, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Shellmar Products Corporation, Mount Vernon, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application March 1, 1945, Serial No. 580,444

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an article and method of manufacture, having particular reference to a merchandising packet constituting an improved type of pouch structure containing tobacco, for example, formed by folding and sealing sheet material in a novel manner, and the provision of such an article and method of manufacturing the same is a principal object of the invention.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide such a merchandising packet by folding and sealing sheet material into a tube, transversely heat-sealing the tube marginally along one of its ends, transversely perforating one side wall of the tube beyond the filled body member to facilitate severing of the side wall to provide a mouth opening for the pouch to obtain access to the commodity, lling a substantial portion of the tube constituting the pouch section above the heat-seal and below the perforation with the commodity to form the body member of the packet, and securing the remaining portion of the tube in face-to-face relationship to provide a protective and stiffening cover nap to be folded and preferably secured against the body member.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a packet in which that portion of the tube constituting the cover flap beyond the perforated wall is secured in face-to-face relationship by being heat-sealed together transversely in a section lying adjacent the transverse perforation, and the end of the tube being transversely heatsealed along its marginal edge to provide a prctective and stiffened cover ap.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a container for such a merchandising packet by folding and sealing a wrapper preferably into a gusseted container and forming a pouch opening therein, perforating one of the side walls of the tube as Well as adjacent gusseted portions to facilitate severing of the side wallsand gussets to obtain access to the commodity.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the article possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements, which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in (Cl. 20G-48.5)

connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a sheet of perforated heat-scalable material folded into a tube and transversely sealed at its lower marginal end to provide a pouch;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pouch of Fig. 1 with the walls expanded to receive a commodity such as tobacco;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the pouch of Fig. 2 filled and heat-sealed to provide a cover flap;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the completed pouch with the cover flap folded into position to provide a merchandising packet constituting a tobacco pouch;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pouch unfolded and opened along the perforated side wall for access to the commodity; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a fragment of sheet material preferably used in the formation of the packet.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is indicated generally at Ill a pouch, formed from a heat-sealable web having l laminated thereto an outer protective sheet to provide a wrapper for the commodity, the wrapper being folded in such a manner that the heat-scalable web provides the inside liner for the pouch.

In Fig. 6 there is illustrated a heat-scalable web ll laminated to an outer protective sheet l2 preferably by means of a micro-crystalline or amorphous wax I3. The heat-scalable material may be a rubber hydrochloride film, such as pliolm, or a cellulose lm, such as cellophane, which has been treated for heat-sealing by means of, for example, a heat-sealing lacquer. The outer protective covering l2 preferably is a sheet of glass'ine or may be any other suitable material, such as kraft paper, foil, or the like.

Such a sheet is folded into tubular formation so that longitudinal marginal edges overlap to be heat-sealed to provide a longitudinal seam I4. One end of the tube is transversely heat-sealed marginally to provide a heat-sealed bottom I5 to form the tube l0.

One side wall of the tube is weakened, as by a transverse perforation I6, to facilitate severing of the side wall to provide a mouth opening for the pouch to obtain access to the commodity as will more fully appear hereinafter.

It should be noted that a gusseted tube is illustrated and that the perforations extend through the gussets. However, the invention is equally applicable to a fiat or envelope type of arrangement but the gusseted type is preferable.

section lying between it and perforation is defines me top or me pouch the heat-sealed bottom I5. The tube in this perforated condition is substantially filled above the heat-seal I to approximately the perforation point I6 and the commodity therein expands the side walls of the tube to form the body member I1 of the packet. After the pouch has thus been filled with a desirable commodity, such as tobacco, it is heatsealed beyond the perforated portion to bring the remaining end of the tube walls into faceto-face relationship, as indicated generally at I8, thereby to provide a protective and stiffened cover fiap to be folded and preferably secured against the body member.

Preferably the remaining portion of the tube beyond the perforation I6 is sealed together transversely in a section I9 lying adjacent the perforation I6. The entire portion I8 which forms the cover ap can be sealed but this is unrl necessary and, therefore, only a marginal transverse heat-seal of the other extreme end of the tube 20 is provided. This prevents separation of the flap when tle same is in use.

After the tube has thus been fllled and sealed, the cover fiap I8 is wrapped around the body member I1. The cover may be sealed to an opposite side wall of the body member such as, for example, by means of a tax stamp.

When the packet has been merchandised and ready for use, it is but necessary to break the stamp and unfold the cover flap I8 lifting the same to the position shown in Fig. 5. By pressing against and running the finger, or finger nail, along the perforated portion of the tube transversely thereof the side wall in this area can be severed, thus providing a mouth opening for the pouch whereby readily to obtain access to the commodity contained therein. After use the wrapper can easily be folded back to its original position to maintain the rest of the contents of the packet intact.

A laminated sheet composed of materials described in connection with Fig. 6 preferably is used in practicing the invention. The adhesive material I3 which preferably is a micro-crystalline or amorphous wax is put on rather heavily. The reason for this is not only to provide the necessary adhesiveness whereby the heat-sealable web and the outer protective sheet are maintained in laminated position, but to provide a barrier against moisture-vapor transmission. In addition to this, such a laminated sheet has the advantage of imparting to the pouch a leathery or metallic feel and this is very desirable. It should also be understood, however, that while a laminated sheet has been disclosed, the invention can be practiced by the use of a. single or duplex web of such a heat-fusible material as rubber hydrochloride, or the like.

Also, while a tax stamp is illustrated as hold-l ing the cover ap in position, it will be understood that the same can be sealed in any other suitable manner.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth may readily and eiiiciently be attained and since certain changes in carrying out the above method, and certain modifications in the article which embody the invention may be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or .shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and ali statements of the scope of the invention which, -as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. As an article of manufacture, a sealed merchandising packet constituting a pouch containing a commodity such as tobacco, comprising a heat-scalable web having laminated thereto an outer protective sheet to provide a wrapper for such commodity, said wrapper being folded and sealed into a tube with said heat-scalable web on the inside to provide a liner, the tube being transversely heat-sealed marginally along one of its ends, a substantial portion of the tube above said heat-seal constituting a pouch section and being filled with said commodity thereby forming the body member of the packet, only one side Wall of said tube beyond said lled body member being transversely perforated to facilitate severing of said side wall to provide a mouth opening for said pouch to obtain access to said commodity, and the remaining portion of the tube being secured in face-to-face relationship to provide a protective and stiffened cover flap folded against said body member, said article when opened upon severance of said transversely perforated side wall comprising a packet having a mouth opening in said side wall above said commodity, the portion of said side wall below said transversely perforated body portion constituting a wall of the pouch and the portion of said side wall above said transversely perforated portion constituting a portion of said stiifening flap.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sealed merchandising packet constituting a pouch containing a commodity such as tobacco, comprising a heat-scalable web having laminated thereto an outer protective sheet to provide a wrapper for such commodity, said wrapper being folded and sealed into a tube with said heat-sealable web on the inside to provide a liner, the tube being transversely heat-sealed marginally along one of its ends, a substantial portion of the tube above said heat-seal constituting a pouch section and being lled with said commodity thereby forming the body member of the packet, only one side wall of said tube beyond said filled body member being transversely perforated to facilitate severing of said side wall to provide a mouth opening for said pouch to obtain access to said commodity, the remaining portion of said tube being secured in face-to-face relationship by being heat-sealed together transversely in a section lying adjacent said transverse perforation, and the other end of the tube being transversely heatsealed along its marginal edge to provide a, protective and stiffened cover fiap folded against said body member, said article when opened upon severance of said transversely perforated side wall comprising a packet having a mouth opening in said side wall above said commodity, the portion of said side wall below said transversely perforated body portion constituting a wall of the pouch and the portion of said side wall above said transversely perforated portion constituting a portion of said stiffening flap.

3. As an article of manufacture, a sealed merchandising packet constituting a pouch containing a commodity such as tobacco, comprising a wrapper folded and sealed into a gusseted tube, the tube being transversely heat-sealed marginally along one of its ends, a substantial portion of the tube above said heat-seal Aconstituting. a` pouch section and being filled with said commodity thereby forming the body member of the packet, only one side wall and adjacent gusseted portions of said tube beyond said lled body member being transversely perforated to facilitate severing of said side wall to provide a mouth opening for said. pouch to obtain access to said commodity, and the remaining portion of the tube including the gusseted portion being secured in face-to-face relationship to provide a protective and stiiened cover flap folded against said body member, said article when opened upon severance of said transversely perforated side -wall comprising a packet having a. mouth opening in said side wall above said commodity, the portion of said side wall below said transversely perforated body portion constituting a wall of the pouch and the portion of said side wall above said transversely perforated portion constitutinga portion of said stiiening ap.

4. A method of making a merchandising packet constituting a pouch containing a commodity such as tobacco, which comprises laminating a heat-sealable web to an outer protective sheet to provide a wrapper for said commodity, folding and sealing said wrapper into a tube with said heat-sealable web on the inside to provide a liner, transversely heat-sealing the tube marginally along one of its ends, transversely perforating only one side wall portion of said tube along a transverse line so as to facilitate severing of said side wall to provide a pouch section and a cover stifening ap section, lling a substantial portion of the tube constituting the pouch section above saidheat-sealed end and below said transverse line of perforations with said commodity to provide the body member of the packet, and securing the remaining portion of the tube including the cover stiiening flap section in face-toface relationship above said transverse line of perforations to provide a protective and stiffened cover ap.

5. A method of making a merchandising packet constituting a pouch containing a commodity such as tobacco, which comprises laminating a heat-sealable web to an outer protective sheet to provide a wrapper for said commodity, folding and sealing said wrapper into a tube with said heat-sealable web on the inside to provide a liner, transversely heat-sealing the tube marginally along one of its ends, transversely perforating only one side wall portion of said tube along a transverse line to facilitate severing of said side wall to provide a pouch section and a cover stiiening flap section, filling a substantial portion of the tube constituting the pouch section above said heat-seal and below said transverse line of perforations with said commodity to provide the body member of the packet, and securing the remaining portion of said tube including the cover stiiiening flap section in face-to-face relationship by heat-sealing a transverse section lying above said transverse line of perforations, and transversely heat-sealing the other end of the tube along its marginal edge including the cover stiifening nap section to provide a protective and stinened cover flap.

6.y A method of making a merchandising packet constituting a pouch containing a commodity such as tobacco, which comprises folding a wrapper and sealing the same into a gusseted tube, transversely heat-sealing the tube marginally along one of its ends, transversely perforating only one side wall portion and adjacent gusseted portions of said tube along a transverse line to facilitate severing of the side wall to pouch section and a cover stiiening flap section, filling a substantial portion of the tube constituting the pouch section above said heat-seal and below the transverse line of perforations with said commodity to provide the body member of the packet, and securing the remaining portion including s aid cover stiifening flap section and said gusseted portions of the tube in face-to-face relationship above said transverse line of perforations, to provide a protective and stiifened cover iiap.

7. In a method of making a merchandising packet constituting a pouch and containing a commodity such as tobacco, the improvement which comprises providing a wrapper for said commodity, folding and sealing said wrapper into a tube, transversely heat-sealing the tube marginally along one of its ends, transversely perforating one side wall only of the closed tube along a transverse line to divide the same into a commodity holding section and a cover stiifening ap, section and to facilitate severing of the side wall to provide a mouth opening for said pouch to obtain access to said commodity.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a flattenable pouch formed of two-ply flexible material open at one end and closed at the other, said Pouch when expanded having relatively wide front and rear walls integrally connected along opposite sides by relatively narrow side walls, the inner ply of said flexible material being heatsealable, said pouch having a continuous line of perforations extending transversely across one of said wide walls and across the adjacent narrow side walls but not into said other wide wall, said line of perforations being located approximately half-way between said open end and said closed end, said pouch being adapted to be lled with a commodity up to a point adjacent to but below said line of perforations whereby the unfilled portion of said pouch extending above said line of perforations may be flattened and heat-sealed in face-to-face relationship to provide a protective and stiifened cover iap.

THOMAS E. PIAZZE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,756,919 Becker et al Apr. 29, 1930 2,189,431 Moore Feb. 6, 1940 2,271,279 Thomas Jan. 27, 1942 2,333,587 'Salflsberg Nov. 2, 1943 2,350,931 Salilsberg -;---a-nlune 61944 2,373,285 Baer Apr. 10, 1945 2,382,175 Salsberg Aug. 14, 1945 

